Cowboys VP Jones excited to see young players in first preseason game
Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones is looking forward to seeing the progress from younger players in Thursday's preseason opener in San Diego.
"At the end of the day, it's your first preseason game and you certainly want to see a lot of the young guys that we drafted and get in there and get a lot of work and some of our younger guys that have been backups for us in the past," Jones said.
Dallas has a bumper crop of first-round talent thanks to this year's draft, and it starts with ballhawking defensive back Byron Jones, who has the versatility to play safety and cornerback. In the second round, Dallas took Randy Gregory out of Nebraska, even though he had character concerns upon failing a drug test at the scouting combine. Finally, the Cowboys lured offensive lineman La'el Collins, who slipped through all 256 picks due to police questioning involving the murder of an ex-girlfriend, with an undrafted free agent contract.
It's obvious this first preseason game is not necessarily all geared around seeing our main guys like [Tony] Romo and them," Jones said. "They certainly may be out there. It's just a great time to watch and see young players come around that are going to be a big part of our team this year."
Who backs up Romo could also be an interesting item to watch. When Romo had to miss a Nov. 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals due to a transverse process fracture in his back, backup Brandon Weeden had a poor outing that helped contribute to the Cowboys' 28-17 loss. Second-year quarterback Dustin Vaughan could challenge Weeden in preseason Week 1,though he has not done much in camp to this point.
One area of considerable interest probably won't be worth watching Thursday due to the injuries at running back. Jones indicated that since the team will be counting on Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, and Lance Dunbar -- all three who are currently injured -- in the regular season, the team will take conservative approaches with their health in the preseason. Against the Chargers, it will be Gus Johnson and Lache Seastrunk's opportunity to impress.
MORE FROM FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST:
- PHOTOS: Cowboys Cheerleaders Auditions
- Preseason predictions for 2015 MLB season
- Ranking NFL quarterback salaries
- Oldest player on every NBA team
- College football's highest paid coaches in 2014
- Highest paid player on every MLB roster
